A profile of the information technology executive

Describes a survey, undertaken by the Nolan Norton Institute in mid‐1995, of Australia’s senior IT (information technology) ranks. The objective of the survey was to gain a better understanding of the continent’s senior IT executives. The results show a grim reality for many of the region’s chief information officers. Australian IT executives are striving for recognition. Compared to their overseas counterparts, they rank lower in their respective organizations, do not report directly to their chief executive officers and are not members of their executive committees. Given these factors, the “senior executive” label seen as most descriptive of the role may be a bit of wishful thinking. Concludes that Australian IT executives’ roles are evolving from a traditional project‐oriented focus to a strategic decision‐making responsibility. IT executives would like to see their role in the organization elevated, giving them more “clout”, stature and visibility, as has increasingly been the case in North America and the UK. Once these issues have been addressed, the Australian IT executive can concentrate on building the management practices and focusing on strategic goals.